CreekBridge Village (2008)
"CreekBridge Village" Published in Real Estate & Construction Review - Northern California Edition
"CreekBridge Village is the first mixed-use neighborhood center built in Salinas, and offers a variety of retail, commercial and business services with apartment living incorporated above on the second floor," said Hugh Walker, vice president of the Central and North Coast Regions for CreekBridge Homes, the project's general contractor.
Located on a 12.2-acre commercial site, CreekBridge Village was built as the final phase of the 500-acre CreekBridge master-planned community. The project combines 96,759 square feet of retail and office space with 22,950 square feet of multifamily residential space, housed in seven one-story retail buildings and two three-story buildings with ground-floor retail and 17 one- and two-story units located above the retail space.
"CreekBridge Village was planned as the final phase so that residents within the neighborhood would have a place that would serve their daily needs by either a short walk or bicycle ride, which has proven over its short existence to lessen traffic in the area," said Walker. "CreekBridge Village has also become a destination spot for the community at large because of its uniqueness and ambience, and the services available."
Pedestrian links were incorporated throughout CreekBridge, including walking and biking trails and sidewalks that lead to the new town center. Furthermore, the drive aisle that runs along the front of the Safeway store, the center's anchor tenant, is an extension of a new residential street. Trees and streetlights are located on either side of the aisle to create a traditional Main Street feel. Additionally, landscaped, park-like seating areas with benches contribute to the town center feel, according Michael Collier, AIA, principal for SGPA Architecture and Planning, the project's architect.
"The rural agrarian context of Salinas was an important driver in determining a design direction for the project," said Collier. Historic agricultural building forms and materials were chosen as a basis for the design direction while vibrant, creative colors added to the mix of building and roof forms, creating a special and unique visual experience, he said.
According to Walker, the center's architecture is its most unique feature. "The style of architecture is unlike any found in the area, and each section of CreekBridge Village carries a different yet compatible design, offering a variety of styles that makes the center a pleasurable place to stroll, shop and dine."
With its rooflines of multiple angles and pitches, including curved roofs, the design presented some issues for the construction crew, according to Ausonio Incorporated, the project's construction manager. The complicated rooflines took additional time and attention to construct. In order to overcome this challenge, additional lift equipment was used to allow greater access for carpenters, and enough time to accommodate the work was scheduled.
According to Walker, scheduling was the greatest challenge. Everything was built simultaneously and during a period when all subcontractors were busy. Multiple subcontractors of the same trade were used in order to keep on the aggressive timetable, essentially accomplishing twice as much work in half the time.
"What we have learned from this project is not to be afraid to be on the cutting edge of ideas and design, because the results can be very positive," said Walker. Indeed, CreekBridge Village is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood center that serves the area well by meeting people's daily needs.
-Stacey Nathanson
